We love receiving questions and emails from potential new members!

Usually they will always include at least one of these questions, so we thought we’d take this opportunity to re-post our FAQ’s page. Enjoy!

I’m not a full time wheelchair user, can I still come to your club? 

Absolutely! It doesn’t matter if you use a powerchair everyday or if you’re able-bodied; as long as you can push a manual wheelchair and you’re game for some fun, you’ll be welcome at Dragons. 

I read that you have able-bodied people on the team alongside disabled players. Can you tell me more about that? 

In the spirit of inclusivity, we don’t see why being able-bodied should stop someone from joining in with their friends or siblings and having fun playing team sport. 

The classification structure of our sports reflects this, with Wheelchair Basketball assigning a 5 point title to those players with no disability, and Wheelchair Rugby League’s rules stating that two able-bodied players are allowed on court per team at any one time.

 I’m the parent of a child with mobility problems. We encourage our child to use aids as little as possible, so I’d worry that participating in wheelchair sport would work against this, can you advise? 

Wheelchair Sport participants come from all walks of life, with all manner of conditions and abilities. We know from first hand experience that children who struggle to take part in running sport find that using a wheelchair to play sport serves only to empower them, helping their confidence and growing their self-belief. We also find that as their fitness and strength increase from participating in wheelchair sport, so too does their stamina for physiotherapy and activities of daily living. 

My condition is deteriorating and I’ve been trying to stay out of a wheelchair. I’m struggling with making the choice to use one for sport. 

Track athletes wear spikes to run, and kayakers need a paddle to get from a-b, so why look at a wheelchair as something different? It’s a piece of sporting equipment that enables the athlete using it to get the most out of their time on court. Give it a go and we’re sure you’ll look at it the same way. 

I’m used to watching Rugby on the TV, how does the sport you play differ from that?

Wheelchair sports like Basketball and Rugby League are merely adaptations of the “running” versions of these games. A lot of the referee calls, scoring structure and tactical decisions are exactly the same. Wheelchair Rugby is a little different from either the 13 or 15 a side running games; you can read more about it here.

How much does a sports wheelchair cost? 

As for any sport there are budget, middle and top of the range bespoke options when it comes to sports wheelchairs. Generally speaking most chairs cost around £1200, with that figure increasing to over £5000 for a bespoke rugby wheelchair.  

Is the hoop really 10ft off the ground in wheelchair basketball? 

Yes it is indeed, just like in the running version of the game. 

I’m not from Dundee, can I still be a member?

DDWSC has members from all over Tayside; including Perth and Kinross, South Fife and North Angus. We don’t mind where you live; if you’re up for the journey to Dundee, we’ll see you on the court!

Wheelchair Rugby! I saw that at the Paralympics. Isn’t that very rough? 

You’re right, there are some big hits in top flite wheelchair rugby, but really these aren’t what the sport is about, and just like in running rugby, any bruises you take from the field, or court in our case, are hard earned! 

I don’t own a sports wheelchair, can I still participate? 

We have a stock of club chairs which you are welcome to use during club activities.